The Stolen Book and A Twist in Time
by Daemon12794
Summary: Uffff the hiatus is getting to me, so I wrote what would happen after the Volpina episode. Soooo this story picks up immediately after the episode. Ladybug goes to check on Adrien after meeting with Fu. In the middle of an Akuma attack, Ladybug is transported into the future. Who does she meet there? Fluff, fluff, some stuff about the book, and REVEAL!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: (23-Jul) Hi all! I started this story as a sequel to the volpina episode, but it evolves into something else. If you don't like this part, Please please please skip to Chapter 4 and give it a try. Chapter 5 is my favourite! (but it won't make much sense if you don't read 4). DROP ME A REVIEW K THX BYE CHTHULU WOULD LIKE THAT VERY MUCH.**

* * *

"Stay….. Please?"

Ladybug hesitated and turned around, eyeing the blond haired, blue eyed 'love of her life'. Adrien just looked so forlorn, so desperate, so…. ' _lonely_ ,' She thought, ' _How can he be lonely?_ '

Letting go of her fears, she sat down on his windowsill. Adrien walked up and sat next to her, keeping a civil enough gap between them. Though he wouldn't admit it to Plagg, his bravado around his lady mostly stemmed from being Chat Noir. Without it, he didn't know how she would perceive him.

"I saw what you did for me."

She jerked up, turning tomato red in the process, "wh- what?!"

"You were ready to give up your miraculous to save my life. I – uh – I saw it on TV! I was watching it live from the – uh – you know… before I took a shower?" _Stupid Adrien, that was so stupid! How could you have seen it and be watching the TV at the same time._ _Oh well, I got myself into this situation… now I have to get myself out of it._

A few moments before this conversation, Ladybug had swung by again to check on him after Volpina's attack. He was touched that she had thought of checking up on him again, and when she had nervously mentioned that she was going to leave, he suddenly blurted out, "No, stay!"

Ladybug was still reeling with her meeting with Master Fu. He had explained the concepts of the Miraculous Stones, and given her a bit of history on Nooroo, Hawkmoth's miraculous. After a point, he said it would be better if he continued when Chat Noir was also present.

* * *

 _"But… Master Fu, I don't know who he is. It's not like I can just walk to his house and say, hey partner, want to go out for a stroll and find out more about our Miraculouses?"_

 _Master Fu sniffed, "Well, how was I to know that you hadn't revealed your identities? Though I'm impressed – from what I've seen of you two, your synchronization made me believe that you had no secrets from each other."_

 _Marinette felt a swell of pride, but that was cut short by a pinch of guilt and shame. After all, Chat Noir had asked her once – no, on multiple occasions – about who she was underneath the mask. The only thing holding that information back was Marinette herself. And she had even partially lied to Tikki about it – It wasn't safe, that's true, but she couldn't help feeling that Chat Noir would be disappointed with the girl underneath the mask. Stuttering, clumsy, Marinette with a raging crush on Adrien Agreste isn't what people associated with Ladybug. She had read enough forums and columns online. Hell, even Alya didn't think that the girl underneath the mask could be someone so ordinary._

* * *

"Ladybug?"

Shaking herself into the present, it still stunned her to find herself face to face with Adrien. His green eyes glittered under the sunlight shining in through the massive windows in his room. Something stirred at the back of her mind. Those green eyes…. There was something so familiar about them.

' _Yeah Marinette, those eyes are all over your wall and computer screen'_

"Sorry… it was a long day. I – uh… You're welcome… I just thought, that it really was you. Because, I checked your bathroom and you weren't there and I –"

She stopped as she heard something that sound a lot like a snicker from somewhere behind her. Whirling around with her yoyo in hand, she saw nothing out of the ordinary, except Adrien started talking really loudly, and really fast, "OH DON'T MIND THAT I JUST LEFT MY VIDEO GAME RUNNING"

Relaxing, "Oh, which one? I just started playing the new Uncharted last night."

Adrien grinned, trying to cover up the fact that he already knew he was a gamer, "I was in a nostalgic mood – I was playing Tekken. If you're up for a good round of some classic Tekken, I think I'd like to challenge you to a duel."

"Oh is that so? Then I'm up for it," Ladybug followed him to his computer, a small trickle of guilt filtering through her excitement of spending time with Adrien. She was supposed to find Chat Noir, and show him the book. Not to mention eventually finding a way to return the book to Adrien at some point, in some way. But that could wait. She was getting a chance to spend time with Adrien himself, and she had her Ladybug confidence to back her up.

Game after game, they played late into the night. Adrien cherished each moment – she revealed tiny tidbits of herself during and between matches. Her favourite colour was pink, she had hurt herself recently by poking a pin into her palm while sewing, spring was her favourite season, her father loved playing video games with her too. After she mentioned that she didn't think that Chat Noir 's humour was all that bad, she turned slightly pink and made a hasty exit.

After making her promise to return again, Adrien couldn't sleep after she left. Ignoring Plagg's incessant teasing, he rewound the night over and over, hearing all those tidbits about her life again and again. He had connected with his lady in ways he never could as Chat Noir, because she would never let him in.


	2. Chapter 2

"You look terrible."

"What? Don't say that, I have a shoot in two hours. I look fine."

"No, you've got your lovesick face on. Don't you have classes in those two hours? I didn't know we were playing truant."

Adrien threw an empty can at Plagg, as he gathered up his stuff to head back into school, "Speaking of which, what do we tell Father about the book?"

Plagg shrugged, "first of all, that's all you – I'm creeped out enough by the amount of interest he showed in your ring. Second, who cares about it, he doesn't know you were the one who took it out of his safe in the first place."

Adrien stared incredulously at Plagg before shoving him into his bag, "YOU were the one who opened his safe. And at least he noticed the ring."

Plagg softened at the change of tone in his human's voice. He knew what had most likely happened to the book – he had sensed Tikki nearby. Atleast he hoped Tikki got to it. Because these kind of things were *so* not his job. _Tikki won't be mad, I found the book in the first place. She should be proud of me._

* * *

Adrien walked into class and took his seat, waving hi to Marinette and Alya. Surprisingly, Marinette waved back cheerily, without turning red. Taken aback but pleased, Adrien focused on the teacher.

'Girl, I'm proud of you!" Alya whispered, "You didn't even flinch!"

Marinette blushed. Spending so much time with Adrien the previous night had made her slightly more confident with dealing with him. _I hope the feeling lasts, though._

Through the class, Marinette's thoughts drifted, thinking about what Master Fu said. She still hadn't managed to contact Chat Noir. Tapping her pencil to a steady rhythm, she started thinking of all the things she should ask Master Fu next.

Alya glanced at her irritably, "stop shaking the table Marinette!"

"What? I'm not doing anything!"

Even though Marinette had stopped tapping her pencil, the table kept vibrating. Suddenly, a high pitched scream came from outside – and voices screaming "Akuma!"

 _Ah well, looks like my Kitty is coming to me._

* * *

Chat Noir was intrigued – Ladybug wanted to spend time with him after taking down the Akuma! He grinned to himself as he followed her over the rooftops. _Maybe my puns are finally getting noticed after all._ He stopped short as Ladybug disappeared down between rooftops.

As he ducked down the same gap, he found himself in an alley, his face inches away from Ladybug's. Trying his luck, he wiggled his eyebrows at his lady, and received her palm on his face. _Ah well, that was expected._

"We need to go in through that window," she said, pointing upwards.

"My Lady, if you had told me beforehand, I could have picked a better place for our first date."

Ladybug sighed, and held on to his waist as he used his staff to push them onto the window ledge, "This isn't a date, Chat. I met Master Fu when my Kwami was sick, but recently, we found a bo-"

"Ah, Chat Noir, welcome," Master Fu greeted them, "and Ladybug, welcome back. Now that you're both here, perhaps I can pick up where I left off last time. Let me get some tea."

"Maybe a little recap for the little kitty here," Ladybug said, giving Chat a heart-stopping smile.

Thoroughly confused, Chat Noir decided to plop himself down on a cushion on the side of the room, "Bugaboo, I trust you and all, but this cat feels like the water's gotten quite deep for him."

Ladybug sat down next to him, folding her legs beneath her, "Don't worry, it's a lot of information, but it starts to make sense after a while."

"A while? When did you meet this guy?"

"Just a few days back. After Volpina. I – well, I mean, my kwami- I mean – _we_ found a book about Miraculouses – "

"-Wait, you did what? A book on Miraculouses?"

Master Fu walked in, with tea and an extremely familiar book balanced on the cups. If Adrien could arch his back and hiss like a cat, he would have.

 _ **"How did you get that book!"**_

* * *

 _A/N: Welp, from here I plan to take this story two ways - one, we continue with the book, and the other is fluff. Lots and lots of it. And maybe some Sin. I haven't decided yet. Also, CHTULU (me) HAS ARISEN AFTER FOUR YEARS OF NO FANFIC WRITING._

 _Hello world, hope you missed me._


	3. Chapter 3

The encounter was a messy one. Both could tell that the other one was covering up some part of the story, and Master Fu couldn't help but feel sorry for the kids. Wayzz had warned him that there would be consequences of letting two miraculouses loose on two unsuspecting teenagers - both who were dealing with their own demons – without any introduction at all. However, watching their adventures from afar, both Fu and Wayzz agreed that this time, their choices were perfect. These two were meant for each other, and it was clear to see. But now, each simply had to accept the other.

When Ladybug and Chat Noir prepared to leave, the awkwardness only increased. Their secrets were building up, and it was not good. Chat Noir knew how much Ladybug hated lies, so it was safe to assume that whatever she had mentioned up till now – about her kwami finding the book in a bin at the park while they were walking through it – was mostly the truth. Ladybug, on the other hand, found Chat Noir's story extremely sketchy. He evaded questions as to how he found the book, but also confirmed that his kwami helped find it. He did mention that he lost the book before he could even look through it properly – "I think it was with me when I left the coffee shop, but I couldn't find it after that" – which didn't really explain how Tikki found Adrien in possession of it in the library.

"Chat Noir, a word, if you please," Master Fu called out.

Ladybug waved, and jumped down to the alley below. A few seconds later, a flash of pink was seen, and it took all of Chat's willpower to not scramble to the window to catch a peek at his lady in civilian form.

He turned to face Fu, "I'm guessing you want to know how I really came across that book."

"That would be useful, yes. And Adrien, I'm sure Plagg could use some cheese about now."

Grinning, Adrien dropped his transformation, "Come to think of it, I remember you. You were there when I was trying to get into school on my first day! That was you, wasn't it?"

Fu smiled, "It was. Now, where did you find the book?"

Adrien's smile vanished, his eyes following Plagg as he drifted towards the plate of cheese and started swallowing them whole.

"It was in my father's safe. I don't know why I thought of looking into it. Now, when I come to think of it, maybe Plagg sensed something too. When he opened it and pulled this book out, something just made me keep it. Master Fu, I know how important this is, but I have to put that book back. I don't know what my father will do when he realizes that the book is missing. He's out of town right now, so we're safe for the next few days, but I need to return it."

Fu frowned, "Your father having a book on the miraculouses, and you being one of the most powerful miraculous wielders… This has too many coincidences. But I understand. I will copy the book, and then you can put it back in its place."

Adrien relaxed, and rolled his eyes when he heard Plagg burp behind him.

"Any tips on dealing with that one?"

Master Fu chucked, "The relationship between a kwami and his human is unique. I would never try to interfere." Plagg and him shared a conspirational wink.

"However, I would give you some advice – this is a new development between you and Ladybug. Ensure that it does not stress your relationship."

"You mean to say that, what she said about how she got the book wasn't true?"

"No, I am not saying that… all I'm saying is that your lives will only get more complicated, the more secrets you hide from each other."

Adrien ducked his head to hide his disappointment, "I'll try working on it."

Fu softened, "Love and emotions are not as easy and smooth-flowing as they seem. While you are confident and outgoing, she is innovative and resourceful. While you don't look before you leap, she is there to hold you back. Your strength keeps her going, and vice versa for you. Keep in mind that you complement each other even beneath that mask. But you both have different fears. Think about it, maybe it will help you scale the wall she has built in front of you."

Plagg rolled his eyes from where he was lying, "In all these years, Fu, you still watch too many romantic movies."

Fu laughed as Adrien spluttered and made a grab for his kwami, "And in all these years, Plagg, you're still a sourpuss. I think you've been away from Tikki too long."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay Okay! I couldn't help it! I'm going to diverge away from the book for a while here. While writing this and thinking of an Akuma I got an idea for it, and I decided to expand on it. Please please continue reading and drop your thoughts**.

 **Thank you for the reviews till now!**

* * *

"So –", Chat Noir's word were cut short as he ducked to avoid the car flying over his head.

Their fight against the newest akuma, was frosty, to say the least. Ladybug had greeted him with a haughty 'hmph'. He knew the reason for her behavior. She had seen through the holes in his heavily fabricated story faster than Plagg went through Camembert, and she hadn't forgiven him for it.

"My Lady-" he started, frustrated as he was cut short _again_. This time, the time-traveller's beam almost touched his ear. Suddenly, he was hauled into the air but Ladybug's yoyo. She had hoisted him over a lamppost.

"Get your head in the right place, Chat Noir! We can discuss it later. We have no clue where people and things are disappearing to, and where things are reappearing from," Ladybug yelled, as she gestured behind them.

And behind them, Paris was falling into bedlam. This new Akuma had given its unsuspecting victim the power of time, similar to Alix's. Similar but not quite. Anyone or anything that fell within his beam was transported somewhere in time. And something from that time was transported back in its place. Up in the sky, there were flying cars, on the streets were steam engines, and men dressed in tailcoats and women in huge skirts. Ladybug hadn't spent much time figuring out the intricacies, but as she jumped back to avoid an 18th century carriage driven by two horses, she decided she didn't want to know more.

While Ladybug was distracted by the carriage, Chat Noir ended up as a disgruntled head on the ground. Picking himself up, he just caught sight of the Akuma's beam cutting through the air before it hit his Lady square in the back.

"LADYBUG!" He screamed, breaking into a run towards her, just before she twinkled out of sight.

"I'm going to get you for that," He snarled in anger, breaking into a run, staff at the ready. He was getting closer, and closer, and his staff was inches away from the akumatized villain, but he hadn't seen the beam arc his way. He was going to smash that villain's face into pieces, he was going to yank that stupid box out of his hands, he was going to-

He was upside down again. The beam missed him by inches.

"Now, kitty kitty, easy there."

 _'Wait, what? Ladybug had disappeared, hadn't she? Did I miss something?_ ' He thought as he struggled to turn around and get a glimpse of the person with the same voice as his Lady.

And she was there. Upside down, but she was there. He gained his balance as she let him down, gently this time. Composing himself -happiness filling him - he looked at where her face usually would be, and came face to face with her chest. A much ampler chest than he remembered? _Get a grip, you creep._ But wait. He looked up. His Lady was taller. She was definitely taller. And wow, she had grown up. Her hair was no longer in pigtails, but it hung around her face in a short bob. And she looked…. Older? Mon Dieu, she was transported somewhere _. Bless my soul, is it possible that the person got transported back here is my Lady from the future?_

She giggled as she closed his hanging jaw with a finger. "Earth to Chat Noir? Hello? You're so tiny," she said as she giggled again.

That got his attention alright. He straightened up, mouth trying to form words, " I – uh – this is a surprise –" he jumped back as she mussed his hair.

"Are you _feline_ better, little kitty cat?" She asked as she giggled more.

 _Okay now, I'm sold. You stay here, my Lady. I think I'm more in love with you than before._

"Mind explaining how I got here? Judging by how young you are, it means I'm quite far in the past."

 _Oh._

Finally getting the common sense to open his mouth, "I-uh- there's the guy we're after. We think – I mean me and you – well, past you – think that the akuma's in his watch. The beam transports people and objects somewhere in time, and replaces them with something or someone from that time, so I guess, that's how you ended up here," he mumbled lamely, blushing furiously under the eyes of his – much older- Lady.

He watched as comprehension dawned on her face, "Oh, I remember this one. Well, I remember my side of it –"

"Watch out!" Chat yelled, as he grabbed her and somersaulted off the street onto a roof, landing hard.

"Oof! Chat!" She complained as she righted herself.

"Sorry," Chat mumbled, "you're much heavier now."

He froze as he realized what he just said. Ladybug sighed, covering her face with her hands, "maybe you haven't changed that much over the years. Or maybe I've just gotten so used to hearing it every day."

 _Every day? She hears me every day?_

Watching as the cogs turned in Chat's brain, she smiled and gave him a small scratch under his chin.

"Come on," she said, "Let's catch that akuma and get me back to my Chaton."

* * *

 **Okay, I hope you liked that. The next chapter is going to be Ladybug's take on things to where she's transported in the future. BUT WE WILL GET BACK TO THE BOOK, and stuff. I promise.**

 **In other news, I am 100% maritrash. I am hooked on this show. What is life.**


	5. Chapter 5

Ladybug stumbled. _What just happened? Oh man, did I get hit by that beam?_

Wobbling slightly, she took a look at her surroundings. Paris. It was Paris, but different? For one, there were no cars on the road. _Now that's something you don't see every day. Okay, I can see La Tour Eiffel from here, and that means the bakery must be somewhere that side. What year is it? Would my parents even be there?_

Sudden fear gripped her heart, _if I'm here, how is Chat Noir going to set things right?_

Anxious, she started pacing, making up a plan. First, maybe getting out of sight is a good idea. Once she had pulled herself onto the roof, she sat down and worked on calming herself down. _Okay Marinette, you can do this. You can do this. You can –_

"I wasn't aware that we were playing hide and seek, Bugaboo."

Startled, she almost fell off the roof. The voice was deep, and soft like flowing chocolate. Slowly, she turned around to face a tall, strapping man, with the same mussed up blonde hair as the partner she had left behind. _Oh my, Chat Noir._ He was _hot._ There was no other way to describe it. The Chat back at home was tall and langly, but the one in front of her was even taller, his shoulders broader, and his _body._ _'I could look at him all day'_. When her eyes finally reached his face, she was brought back to his senses by the very amused expression on it. Though that didn't take away her attention from his cheekbones, and his jawline, and his –

"Did you shrink?"

Ladybug spluttered, extremely offended, "I did _not_ shrink. You've just grown taller." Extremely aware of the blush blooming on her face, she resolutely turned around and sat again, in a huff.

"What year is it?"

Chat cocked his head to one side, "You're supposed to be turning 26 tomorrow, if that's what you're asking," he said, taking a seat next to her, "Though right now, my Lady, I must say you don't look a day above twelve."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, "Please, we didn't even have our miraculouses – wait, you know my birthday?" _Please keep talking, I want to swim in that voice. Oh, did he say 26? Wow. In ten years he's going to look like that? GET A GRIP, MARINETTE._

Chat gave her an odd look. Going quiet, (much to Marinette's dismay), he sized her up again, a grin forming on his lips as he saw her turn very, _very_ red under his gaze, "That far back, huh? I think I remember this. Or atleast, my version of this."

"You mean, you remember this fight?"

Chat turned and gazed at the horizon. The sun was setting and Paris was serene, contrary to the chaos she had just left behind.

"Yeah, you – I mean, future you, "my" you, if you'd like to call it – got transported back. Oh man," he chuckled, "I wish I could relive that again."

Ladybug rolled his eyes, "so, over ten years, you don't change much, do you?" she giggled, eyes twinkling.

"Nor do you! If I remember, you're going to say the same thing to past me right now," he gave her a grin that made her stomach drop.

 _Really, Marinette, REALLY?!_

"You didn't tell me much about this encounter though. All I remember you saying was that you had to wait it out with me. I remember from my experience, she uses her power. I think it won't work from here." he added helpfully.

"Oh," Ladybug didn't feel as glum as she sounded. Maybe spending time with future Chat Noir might be quite fun after all. _Although, I'm never going to look at him the same way again. Oh Marinette, this is getting more and more complicated!_

"Chat?"

"Hm?" The sound that escaped his mouth sounded more like a purr.

"Am I allowed to ask you how we defeat Hawkmoth? Is he still around?"

He sighed, "Of course, you'll go for the difficult questions. I don't know if I can answer that, with paradoxes and all. Try another one."

Ladybug scrunched up her face, "I'm guessing you already know who I am by now, if you know my birthday..?"

The cheshire grin – the one she was used to seeing over her Chat's face – slowly started to appear.

"I'm pawsitively sure I know who you are, Buginette."

Ladybug paused at this. Her fears were holding the next question back, but she could feel Tikki push her to ask it. She had to _know,_ she needed to. Minutes went by, as she built up the courage to ask him. Surprisingly, this Chat Noir didn't interrupt it. Not even once. Maybe the kitty had matured after all.

"Were you disappointed?"

He froze.

"… Excuse me?"

She pressed on, "Were you disappointed when you found out it was me under the mask? Without my kwami?"

The look on Chat Noir's face was indescribable. She held his gaze as long as he could, finally turned and looked away at the last rays of the setting sun disappearing below the buildings.

She heard a rustling sound behind her. Chat Noir was pulling something out of his pocket.

"My Lady."

Eyes brimming with tears, she didn't look back.

" _My Lady."_

She turned. Chat Noir was holding something out for her to see. It was pink and green. It was – oh mon Dieu – it was her good luck charm! _The one that – wait, didn't I give this to –_

"I don't transform without it. And for the record, the day I found out who you were was one of the happiest days of my life."

She looked at it, and at the depth of emotion in his eyes. Ten years was a long time. A strange pulling feeling engulfed her.

Chat smiled, "Looks like I can see through you, my Lady."

Ladybug looked down to see that she was beginning to disappear. That means that she was going back to her time. Chat took her hand to kiss it. She noticed two rings on it. He caught her gaze, and said, "Oh, Plagg can't transform through gold. Tikki can't either, for the record. The ring always gets left out." But her gaze was caught by the inscription on it. But at that moment, her hand began to physically disappear, and Chat dropped his hand quickly, before she could read it.

The Cheshire grin returned to his face in full force, "Some spoilers are worth waiting for, my Lady."

The young Ladybug twinkled out of sight, and in her place, his bugaboo appeared. As she slipped into his embrace, fingers entwining into his hair, he relaxed completely.

"How was the experience?"

"Like meeting a teenager," he laughed as she reached out to smack him, "I miss those pigtails. They were adorable."

"I'm serious!"

"She saw the ring."

"I know, I remember," she smiled as she reached up to place a soft kiss on his lips. They both looked down at the gold wedding ring on his finger. As twilight faded over the streets of Paris, the inscription ' _Marinette'_ could just about be seen, if you had the eyes of a cat, that is.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, really! They're breathing life into me. This chapter is more of an angst/recovery from the previous one. Huehuehue I feel myself turning towards SIN :3

* * *

Chat Noir breathed a sigh of relief as his Ladybug, young and short, reappeared as the last of her magic faded. He couldn't stop himself from pulling her into a bear hug, if only to hide his face from her.

Because all of his composure had left him along with his soon-to-be 26 year-old Lady.

When they finally let go, they stared at each other with a new light in their eyes. Over everything else – fighting off an akuma with the same-yet-foreign partner, and simply spending time with the other – Ladybug realised one simple thing. In ten years, a lot will change. But he will still be there. This boy, who made her almost cry with bad jokes and incessant flirting, would be there in ten years when she would be… what? Designing professionally? Begging on the streets? She had spent so many nights staring at the stars through her bedroom skylight, wondering where her future as Ladybug would take her. Would it be short-lived? Would it tear her life apart? How would it affect her future with her family, her friends… with Adrien?

Until this moment, Marinette's dreams had been filled with these thought. She hadn't dared to discuss them, even with Tikki. The kwami was her confidant in everything, but Marinette could not bear to discuss this with her. How can she tell her that she was scared of the future, scared of losing the trust of her family and friends? Ladybug gave her confidence, but much of it didn't filter into Marinette's everyday life. The longer she was Ladybug, the more complicated her normal life became. Alya was so used to her going AWOL, coming in late for class, oversleeping and being tired in general for everything. Marinette was scared just how easy lying to her parents had become. She was constantly worrying that eventually being Ladybug will take over her entire life. And what if she fails to do even that? What if they never catch Hawkmoth? What if she fails to catch and akuma? What if she fails to protect Chat and – _I need a break,_ she thought wearily.

"I guess we both need time to process what just happened," She breathed, staring into his green cat eyes.

Chat nodded, fumbling with his staff as his ring started beeping. He gave her his customary two-fingered salute and catapulted himself onto the nearby roof.

* * *

Ladybug landed on her rooftop and let go of her transformation. She caught Tikki as she flew out of her earrings, and sank to the ground, cradling the tiny red kwami in her palm.

"Oh, Marinette, that was quite an adventure!"

"I know, Tikki…"

"And Chat Noir, he was very handsome," the red kwami piped up, giggling as Marinette turned beetroot red. But she didn't smile.

"Tikki, can you transform again?"

* * *

Plagg still hadn't stopped laughing at Adrien's reaction to adult ladybug.

"Stop it!"

"But your face! If I could immortalize that face, I would totally do that!"

Adrien ignored the kwami, scrolling through the Ladyblog, trying to find a picture of her. He wanted to see her again, to compare with – ' _Wait, why is it suddenly so quiet? What's he upto now,'_ Adrien thought.

"Is that how you get all your news on me?"

Adrien nearly threw his monitor across the room in fright. He shut the screen, and guiltily turned around to face the red-and-black-polkadotted girl standing on his windowsill. _'I should really stop teaching her stealth moves.'_

"Oh you know, it bugs me if I'm not up to date with Paris' favourite superhero," he punned, giving her a sheepish look. To be perfectly honest with himself, he wasn't sure he would be able to stop his inner Chat from bleeding into Adrien tonight. He still hadn't wrapped his head around the fact that in ten years, if he was guessing right (and he was ready to bet his soul on it), that this girl would be his.

Ladybug groaned, "Please, no more puns!" Grabbing his controllers, she tossed one to him and smirked half-heartedly, "Ready to get your butt kicked again?"

Adrien caught it (with cat-like reflexed – ' _Calm yourself, Agreste'_ ) and took a seat next to her, looking forward to the night.

* * *

The next morning, a very exhausted Adrien plopped himself next to Nino.

"Dude, you look completely totaled. Rough night?"

"You could say that. I got my butt kicked over and over," Adrien muttered, yawning.

The bell had just rung when Marinette charged into the classroom and proceeded to trip on the staircase right next to Adrien. He managed to grab her just before she hit the floor. As usual, he was expecting her to mutter something and run off, so it was a shock to both Alya and himself that Marinette composed herself and said, "Thanks for that, you saved me from a nasty fall!"

Adrien blinked, and was suddenly distracted by the necklace she was wearing. The pendant was a black piece of metal, twisted to look like a cat's tail. At the centre of the twist was a small gold bell. He smiled, turning fuzzy on the inside, as he replied, "That was no problem. I like your pendant. I didn't know you were that big a fan of Chat Noir."

Marinette smiled sheepishly, "I didn't know I was either." Suddenly realizing what she said, she skittered to her seat and slumped down. Alya patted her back kindly, "Well, it wasn't as bad as previous experiences. We can count this as a win."

A dejected moan came from somewhere under the pile of clothes that was Marinette.

Alya prodded her, "What's wrong Marinette? Tell Mama Alya everything."

An indistinct mumble echoed from the Marinette-pile.

"Girl, I can't get a word you're saying."

The mumble sounded again, a bit clearer this time.

"Wait – did you just say YOU THINK YOU LIKE SOMEONE ELSE NOW?!" 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey all! I've taken inspiration for this chapter (and copy-pasted to preserve the integrity) from Tumblr used Ceejles' LadyNoir Comic! It can be found on their tumblr blog under the tags miraculous ladybug and doodleroom. The entire Papa Dupain-baby Marinette scene is exactly how Ceejles has written it!**

 **Summary: Ladybug comes to terms with her affection for Chat, Papa-daughter fluff, MariChat fluff. A review would be kind! :3**

* * *

"Don't get me wrong, Alya. It's not like my love for Adrien has evaporated or something. I just… I just feel like maybe my obsession with him is preventing me from seeing someone who's really an option for me, you know?"

It was a week after the incident in the classroom, Marinette and Alya were relaxing on the grass in the school stadium. It was lunch hour and the girls were taking advantage of the sunny day (and relative privacy) to discuss latest developments. Marinette was lying on her stomach, resignedly picking at random blades of grass. Alya had just finished retelling the adventure that had just gotten over – a vicious akuma fight that had Ladybug and Chat Noir scurrying all over the southern quarter. Marinette was giggling – Alya had been complaining how she had a lot of trouble keeping up with the masked superheroes. After a brief silence, Alya had given the back of her head the trademarked reporter look, "Girl, I am literally with you all the time. Who is this mystery boy?"

Marinette panicked. She hadn't really thought this far, when she had mumbled what she truly felt to Alya almost seven days ago. She literally couldn't believe herself when she had finally made it back to her room and de-transformed. She had fallen for that pun-loving, quick-thinking idiot in a black suit. Meeting Adrien was just an excuse to confirm her doubts. Yes, the boy was a living god. He was beautiful, kind, generous, and downright eatable. _But maybe he's not the prince I'm looking for..._

* * *

When Ladybug had finally come home from a brief-but-vicious akuma attack the previous night, she was surprised to see the living room light on. Instead of jumping onto her roof, she crept onto the balcony, taking a peek through her own living room curtains.

Her parents were cuddling in a blanket and watching an old video of Papa Dupain and baby Marinette. Through the window, she could just about pick up the audio.

 _Papa Dupain was reading her some story about a girl and her prince, and Sabine was recording them. Three-year-old Marinette was perched on his lap, large eyes struggling to read the words printed on the pages of the book in his hands._

 _"Papa!" Baby Marinette called out, as she strained to look into the eyes of her father, "When I grow up, I'm going to meet my prince, just like in the story! My one true love! He's going to be very handsome and dreamy, right Papa?"_

 _Tom chuckled and patted Marinette's head, "Yes, my Princess, you definitely will. But you know, Marinette, there are going to be a lot of handsome princes out there. You won't be able to find yours easily. One day, you'll understand that your true love doesn't have to be handsome and dreamy. The most important part about your prince that you need to look for is someone who is brave… kind… selfless… protective. Someone who is always going to be there by your side, no matter the weather."_

 _Little Marinette's eyes were as big as saucers as she appeared to ponder a lot on her fathers words. She lisped, "What does self- self- selfleff mean papa?"_

 _Tom let out a loud guffaw as he tossed the book aside and picked up the little girl, tossing her into the air while she squealed, "Selfless is what giving that little extra food you have to someone who needs it more! Selfless is sharing that bar of chocolate grand-mère Dupain gives her little princess on Christmas!"_

 _"Noooo Papa! You want to me share chocolate! I don't want to be selfleff!"_

Marinette's parents were laughing softly, in an attempt to not wake their now-teenaged daughter, who – they thought – was fast asleep upstairs. Ladybug jumped onto her roof, and detransformed. Tikki materialized in front of Marinette, and opened her mouth to say something. Suddenly, she gave a look of warning and disappeared as Marinette heard a soft thump behind her.

"A bit chilly for standing outside at this time of the night, isn't it, Princess?"

Marinette's lips curled into a small smile as she recognized the voice of her kitty cat. Her papa's words came floating back to her, _'The most important part about your prince that you need to look for is someone who is brave… kind… selfless… protective. Someone who is always going to be there by your side, no matter the weather.'_

"I could say the same to you, Chat Noir. That suit doesn't look very warm to me," knowing full well that his kwami would be keeping him nice and toasty.

Chat Noir shrugged, becoming uncharacteristically sober. His father was leaving for America, to release a new winter line. As usual, Adrien was going to be left behind, and put on house arrest. The long list had started in the morning: No going out with friends for "hanging out", no missing any of his extra-curricular lessons, no coming back late from school, no this and no that. When that Akuma had attacked, it was practically a godsend for Adrien. An excuse to stretch his legs, without Plagg complaining about transforming. Now that the fight was over, (and too short-lived, in his opinion) he had no interest in going home immediately. While wandering the rooftops, wishing Ladybug hadn't had to leave so soon, he caught sight of movement on the rooftop of a familiar bakery. Curious, he had come closer, to see Marinette on the roof, holding her hands up, cupping something close to her face. By the time he had vaulted onto her roof, she had dropped whatever she was holding – but not before he noticed a flash of red.

 _Ladybug red,_ he thought, absentmindedly.

"Didn't feel like calling it a night," he drawled, hoping it came off as sounding cool and laid-back.

"Well then," Marinette said, as she remembered the flask of hot chocolate sitting on her desk in her bedroom below, "I think I have just the thing."

As night broke into dawn, Marinette and Chat Noir were still talking on the roof. The hot chocolate had long since turned cold, and both were sitting facing each other, bundled up in blankets stolen off her bed. They had exhausted all possible topics, from the Mayor's latest re-election (' _Well, obviously he won against a fencing teacher!' 'Please, maybe a fencer can do a better job than him_.'), to the best places to eat around town (' _What do you mean you've never tried the café near Rue de Celine?! Chat, you don't know what you're missing!' 'Princess, you'd be surprised at the list of things I know I'm missing out on.'_ ). The conversation flowed without any stop, laughter sounding at regular intervals. Chat finally realized the amount of time that had passed only when Marinette's eyelids began to droop and her words started to slur. Smiling, he hoisted the blanket-burritoed girl and slipped into her bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. He took one last look at her, before he hopped onto her roof and jumped off. He was not looking forward to the rest of day, knowing how much Plagg would complain about the overnight transformation. _But for this, it was worth it._

When Marinette finally woke up, she couldn't help but wonder if it had all been a dream. Tikki giggled and said, "Marinette, if it was a dream, what is your flask doing on your roof? Oh, I don't know how you reached back into your bed, I was asleep by then. Maybe Chat carried you down here."

Marinette climbed onto the terrace, picking up the flask, and leaned against the railing. She had gotten to know Chat in a way that Ladybug had never bothered to do. Sure, she accepted him as a partner and an equal. She always expected him to turn up at the sight of an akuma. But she never tried to _know_ him, until last night. And what she found was someone quite endearing.

 _'The most important part about your prince that you need to look for is someone who is brave… kind… selfless… protective. Someone who is always going to be there by your side, no matter the weather.'_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: YOU GUYS, I'm so sorry about the code showing. Corrected and re-uploaded the chapter. Thanks for all the reviews, really sorry that I didn't catch this after uploading it. And user PieSisChris, the book will return soon! This chapter is about Adrien just being dense... or is it?**

* * *

Adrien was hanging upside down, watching Plagg go through his latest batch of cheese. Plagg, on the other hand, was passing dubious looks at his human in between mouthfuls.

"What are you even trying to do?"

Adrien grunted, "They're called crunches. Only that I'm hanging from the railing and trying to do it upside down."

"I'm sorry I asked. What I should have asked was, why are you, when you have superhuman strength – provided by yours truly – wasting your energy on something like that?"

"I'm trying to think."

"Oh no, that's new. Watch out world, he's evolving."

Adrien ignored the kwami, concentrating on trying to get his forehead near his knees.

But Plagg's curiosity was piqued, "What are you trying to think about?"

"Ladybug-" - there died his curiosity – "and Marinette." – His ears perked up.

Plagg stopped eating and turned to face Adrien. He gave a grin, tiny pointed teeth showing, "What about them?" Of course Plagg _knew_. It drove him crazy that he could sense Tikki _right behind them_ every day when Adrien was at school. Of course Tikki was lucky enough to get a girl that would own a bakery. Of course Tikki would get someone that had an endless supply of food. Not that Adrien didn't give him food, but could you imagine living in a _bakery?!_ All those goodies, just stocked up, waiting to be eaten. The first time Adrien had gone there, Plagg had almost passed out with just smelling the tempting flavours drifting through Marinette's bedroom hatch. But, of course, Adrien had to be so _dense_ that he couldn't realize that Marinette and Ladybug were the same person. Although, he couldn't blame him. The girl was so radically different in front of Adrien and Chat Noir that even Plagg sometimes couldn't believe that they were the same person. Of course Tikki would pick someone like her. They were perfect for each other.

Adrien, on the other hand, was on a different train of thought. It had been a few weeks since the whole time travel incident. There were a few akuma attacks in between, but nothing as exciting. However, for Chat Noir, the biggest change had to be Ladybug. It was slow, but it was happening. She was warming up to him. He didn't know if it was his charm, or something else – but she had begun to laugh at his jokes, and linger longer after a fight. She genuinely seemed interested in getting to know him. For Adrien, the biggest change was Marinette. All this time, Adrien thought that Marinette couldn't stand him, even though he had apologized to her about the chewing gum. He thought that the reason she ran away from him all the time was because she thought him pathetic. – for having no friends. But it had all begun to change. Marinette opening up to Adrien was like watching a flower bloom. Petal by petal, she began to share bits and pieces of herself with him. The first step was just her talking to him, but from there, she was unstoppable. She still got shy sometimes, but suddenly, Adrien found that he could read her better. He could tell when she was becoming insecure, when she was looking for inspiration for an upcoming design, and when she was daydreaming. Pretty soon, Adrien was invited over to her house with Alya and Nino, invitied to go to movies with them, and their groups simply merged together. Alya and Nino were pretty much a thing, but he didn't mind tagging along if it meant spending time with Marinette. His days were no longer filled with waiting for times he would get to meet Ladybug. Marinette's presence distracted him from that. If Adrien was honest with himself, it wasn't that Marinette distracted him from Ladybug. It was that Marinette became Ladybug. The more he got to know her, the more sure he became that she and his lady might be the same person. But some things didn't add up – like the time he had seen Ladybug when Marinette was still standing next to him. Or the times when he was sure that Marinette was captured by an Akumatized villain. He was sure he was missing some part of the story.

 _"_ Like two lenses that were being tweaked continuously, but the final picture was never in focus _"_ , he pondered out loud.

Plagg's nasal voice snapped him back to the present, "I think there's too much blood rushing to your head. Speaking of Marinette, aren't you supposed to be meeting her some time now?"

Adrien somersaulted onto the floor, grabbing his phone, "Oh man, I was supposed to meet her ten minutes ago. She hasn't called though."

Smirking, Plagg went back to his cheese. But before he could get another bite, he found himself being unceremoniously stuffed into Adrien's shirt, "Come on, you little rodent. We have a girl to meet."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I can't help it! All this fluff just pours out of my heart - because I have no love life as such. Ahahaha, this story will draw to a close in a few chapters. Written as I listened to (weirdly enough) cold water - major lazer & justin bieber. I promise to bring actual plot soon.**

 **Summary: Adrienette. Just, frustrating Adrienette.**

* * *

Adrien pushed open the door to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. Navigating through the long line to the front of the counter, he managed to catch Sabine's eye. She gave him a kind (and knowing) smile, and told him Marinette was helping her father in the kitchen, and had probably lost track of time.

And so she had. Walking into the hot kitchen, he was greeted by a very anxious Tom, and Marinette balancing three trays while trying to get them into the oven. He didn't blame him for being anxious. Anyone who knew Marinette would be afraid when held one tray of baking goods, let alone three.

Marinette's face was a mask of concentration as she deftly placed each one into the oven. Turning around, her mouth formed a comical 'O' as she caught sight of Adrien with an extremely bemused expression on his face. Tom, happy at finding an extra hand to help, immediately tied an apron around Adrien's wait and pushed him towards Marinette, "come on you two, next tray of cookies."

Adrien eyed the trays and dough with panic. Marinette giggled as she took her place next to him, "It's not that hard, you just need to place an equal amount of dough with just enough space between them so that they don't form one giant cookie once its baked."

And so started the baking. Once three trays were done, Marinette gathered them up, balancing them precariously as she turned towards the oven. Plagg, taking Marinette's absence as a chance, shot out of Adrien's shirt and into the store room. Adrien hissed, "No! Get back here!"- but Plagg had already phased through the closed door. He ran to the store room, stopping outside and turning around to see if Tom and Marinette had noticed anything weird, only to see Marinette lose her balance.

Adrien watched the first tray tip over, time slowing down. Before even thinking about it, he launched himself across the room, managing to grab the tray before it flipped over completely. However, his momentum took him forward enough for him to slam onto the counter in front of him.

* * *

"You're no Chat Noir, but you'll do," Marinette giggled before placing the ice pack on his forehead again.

It was an hour after the incident at the bakery. Sabine had heard Adrien hit the table all the way till the cash counter, and Marinette's parents had decided to call it a day for them both. They were now sitting in Marinette's room, and Marinette was holding an icepack on Adrien's head, where an ugly bruise was popping up.

Adrien feigned shock, "I'm no Chat Noir?! My Lady, however could you say that?"

He watched as Marinette started laughing, before she caught herself, a guard going up behind her eyes – as she picked up on the nickname. In that moment he _knew_. It _was_ her! He wasn't crazy! Spying the earrings, he could just about see the ladybug design on the darkened stone. Oh man, this sure made things easier for him. But, wait, how the hell was he supposed to now bring up the topic in front of her?

Hastily changing topics, Marinette asked, "Will your father be mad about the bruise?"

Adrien shrugged, knowing his father probably wouldn't be around long enough to notice, "there's nothing that makeup can't cover, milady." He was happy to see his nickname brought a dust of blush to the cheeks of the girl in front of him. But now, he was distracted. Somewhere around here, there had to be a kwami. A ladybug red kwami, if he remembered correctly. Trying to distract her more, he jumped up, startling her, and tipped over her box that contained knitting supplies.

"Still not Chat enough for you, Marinette?"

Marinette gasped and dived to collect her supplies, "Adrien!"

Instantly regretting the mess, he bent down to help her pick up the stuff, only to find himself face to face with a ball of yarn. Marinette was dangling it in front of him, with a wicked expression on her face. Playing along, he batted it a few times, until it started unraveling. Panicking, they both tried to get at the rapidly shrinking ball as it made its way around Marinette's room.

Tripping on her supplies, Marinette collided with Adrien, who managed to twist around so that she landed on his chest, while he took the main brunt of hitting the floor. Out of breath, the world seemed to pause as they stared at each other – looking into familiar, yet alien eyes. Suddenly, Marinette blinked as, for a second, she saw cat eyes instead of Adrien's warm green. _It couldn't be… Nah._

Scrambling, the two teens started cleaning up Marinette's supplies, turning redder and redder every time their hands touched when they reached for the same pen, or same roll of thread.

Adrien spun around as he heard a high-pitched giggled behind him, to see a red flash _just_ disappear behind the chaise. Aha! Her kwami! Then he realized something very, very dreadful.

He had left Plagg in the store room _two fucking hours ago._


	10. Chapter 10 - Alternate Ending

**A/N: I'd just like to saw thank you to a few who have been leaving amazing reviews since the start of this fic - PieSisChris, Miraculous Llama Lady, and 4everamore143 especially. Thanks a lot for ALL the reviews, they're really keeping the flufftrain going.**

 **Also I apologise in advance because I'm going to butt in again later in the story.**

* * *

"I didn't mean to."

"What do you mean you didn't _mean_ to? You ate a cheese roll. A ROLL. It weighed four kilos!"

"Now you're just making that up."

"You didn't eat the label that was stuck on it."

"Was it really four kilos?"

Adrien threw up his hands in frustration, "Might I add the cheese is now all over my bathroom? Thanks for the courtesy of not puking on my carpet."

Plagg turned over, from where he was lying down, exhausted from overeating, "You're welcome. What did I miss anyway?"

Adrien narrowed his eyes at Plagg, "Is her kwami red?"

Plagg froze. _So he had strung the dots together. Oooh, this is going to be fun._

* * *

Marinette smiled and ushered Tikki into her jacket as she heard the familiar _tap tap_ of Chat Noir's claws against her glass. She unlocked and pushed open the door hatch, letting the clawed crusader in. Shivering in the cold, she shut it behind her. Winter was setting in, and Tikki was not liking it.

"How was your day, milady," Chat purred, as he bounced onto the chair Adrien had vacated a few hours ago. Just to give Marinette chills, he adopted the very same pose, watching as she experienced a déjà-vu.

 _I'm going to hell for this when she finds out who I am,_ thought Chat.

Marinette sent him an overtly suspicious look.

"We had a break-in today," she said, still eyeing him suspiciously.

 _Oh no, keep it cool keep it cool keep it cool,_ thought Chat as he heard himself drawling, "Did you now? Maybe I should patrol this area more often, because it sounds like you have a cat burglar on the prowl."

Marinette started to slowly take steps towards him, "Funny you should stay that, little kitty, because it was a roll of Camembert cheese."

Chat's ears flattened as he found an interesting spot on the ceiling, "What an odd thing to steal. Marinette, is your hatch loose? I sense a chill coming through it."

Marinette ignored the comment, "What was even weirder was that there was money left behind in its place."

Chat continued to show extreme interest on the spot on Marinette's ceiling. Marinette hoped that she wouldn't have to bring up the fact that she knew his kwami favored Camembert, which she had noticed when they were dealing with Antibug. She continued forward until she was almost nose-to-nose with her Chaton.

* * *

 **A/N: REALLY SORRY FOR BUTTING IN HERE. But this is an alternate ending to my story. IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE READING THE CHAPTERS (That will comprise of the book ((I'm looking at you PieSisChris - yes I'm going to write about it)), more adrienette/marichat/ladynoir frustration before an eventual reveal) THAT WILL COME AFTER THIS ONE IN THE FUTURE, I SUGGEST YOU STOP HERE. BECAUSE WHEN I UPDATE, I'M GOING TO MOVE THE STORY BELOW TO ANOTHER LINK.**

 **For those of you who can't wait, because a part of me couldn't wait. I wrote the below. So be warned, the next time you open this chapter, the part below will have moved to a different link. Anyhoo, (very tame) SIN SIN SIN SIN.**

* * *

The spot on her ceiling wasn't that interesting any more. Because she was so close that he could see every freckle – on the same spots as Ladybug's. Her smell – the very same as Ladybug's. Her eyes – her bright bluebell eyes – the very same eyes that held (almost) the same expression every time he cracked a joke. ' _How could I have been so blind?!_ ', He thought for the hundredth time.

For the second time that day, the world seemed to stop, the next move hanging on a thread. Every muscle in Chat's body wanted to close the gap between him and Marinette. He was utterly and irrevocably in love with her. He didn't think that his love and admiration for Ladybug could grow, but discovering her true identity actually made that happen. As Chat, he had an impulsive streak that disappeared when he was Adrien. But he knew that if he did this, if he closed that gap, this would be the point of no return. Their relationship would never be the same after that.

So imagine his surprise when Marinette lurched forward, pressing her lips against his.

He jerked backwards, staring at her in wonder.

Marinette was blushing hard. She broke eye contact and stared at the ground. She had jumped on her instinct here. After the afternoon's scuffle with Adrien, she had spent every minute discussing with Tikki whether she should follow her instinct. She went on about Adrien, and how something could still happen between them, based on what had just transpired. Tikki countered that her heart was telling her something else, and that she should follow it, which annoyed Marinette a little. Was she so shallow to switch between two guys so fast? _Or maybe its just hormones,_ she thought resignedly. Their debate had lasted until one of the boys in question had tapped on her window a few minutes ago.

Extending one finger, he raised her chin, pulling her back to the present. Then, he pulled her in for one more kiss. This one was longer, and less gentle. Her hands found his face, one moving to the back of his head, entwining into his hair. Without breaking the kiss, he pulled her by her waist onto his lap. Her hands moved from his hair, down over his chest; her mouth never leaving his. Suddenly she stopped and pulled away.

"Nooo," muttered Chat groggily, as she gingerly poked at his pocket.

"What's in there?" She asked curiously.

"Oh… Um…" He looked up at her guiltily. _This was it, she was going to put everything together now._

 _My my, this is going to be interesting. Also, you're gross. You have no finesse when it comes to women._

 _Shut UP, Plagg._

He unzipped his pocket and pulled out her lucky charm - the one she had given Adrien when they were practicing for that gaming tournament. He watched as she put two and two together.

"I don't transform without it."


End file.
